<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Werewolf of Beacon - Bonus Chapters by pixlh3art</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23831560">The Werewolf of Beacon - Bonus Chapters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixlh3art/pseuds/pixlh3art'>pixlh3art</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Werewolf of Beacon [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(first person to guess what game she's playing based on my description gets 1 brownie point), Also Kissing, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fiona is a streamer (yes really), Poly Happy Huntresses, Robyn stress-bakes, Some hurt/comfort, Vampire Bites, Weiss and Ruby are already dating, Werewolf AU, Winter and Robyn already dating, emphasis on the comfort, lots and lots of kissing, really really tender emotional moments, some slight perhaps nsfw (like a teensy bit), werewolf of beacon bonus chapter(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:28:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,469</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23831560</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixlh3art/pseuds/pixlh3art</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hi there!<br/>As a celebration of the fact that the Werewolf of Beacon has reached over 500 kudos (and perhaps for other, future milestones), I'm using this fic to hold a few fun bonus chapters that I've written to mark the occasion!<br/>If you have somehow ended up here but don't know about the Werewolf of Beacon, I suggest you read that first! This fic is the second one in a series with it, so just click backwards through that series and you should find it!</p><p>-Red</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Fiona Thyme/May Marigold/Joanna Greenleaf, Robyn Hill/Winter Schnee, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Werewolf of Beacon [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1717180</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>288</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Good Morning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you all so much for getting the Werewolf of Beacon to 500 kudos! As promised, here's a bonus WhiteRose chapter, as voted by all of you!<br/>The only other thing to note is that by this point, Weiss and Ruby are already dating (which, come on, it's pretty obvious that they were on their way) and that this fic takes place during their spring semester, so after the Winter break of their first year.</p><p>With all of that being said, please enjoy! The extra Snowbyrd chapter is on its way!</p><p>-Red</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Weiss came to consciousness slowly. What a strange feeling it was, actually waking up in ‘her’ bed for a change. Most nights, she would end up in Ruby’s bed with her. It was cramped, certainly, and she found herself longing for a full bed, like Blake and Yang had in their apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> complaining. She didn’t tend to move around very much while asleep, and the feeling of being in Ruby’s arms made her even more secure. There was just something about her that made Weiss feel at peace, though she’d given up on actually quantifying it months ago. They were together, now, in every sense. That was all that mattered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning, sleepyhead!” Ruby called as Weiss sat up. “How’d your paper go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss sighed. It was nice that her professor’s policy was as vague as ‘it’s due by the time I wake up the next day,’ but the issue was that Weiss could therefore work until three o’clock in the morning on her assignments. Even Ruby didn’t usually draw that late - she had kissed Weiss goodnight at around one, which is why they hadn’t woken up together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My paper is </span>
  <em>
    <span>done,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Weiss answered. “That’s the only way I can describe it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby’s laugh was like a gorgeous little bell, and it was probably the sole reason that Weiss put so much effort into making jokes. She rubbed her eyes to find Ruby standing in the kitchen, her tail wagging merrily as she washed a pan - she must have made an omelette for herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Want some breakfast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss was skeptical.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it still early enough that I could call it ‘breakfast?’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s only eleven thirty,” Ruby replied, checking her scroll to confirm. “I think you’ve just made it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank goodness,” Weiss said smarmily. She pulled the covers off of herself, getting dressed. “Though I think I might just still skip to lunch anyways.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grilled cheese?” Ruby asked. She held up the pan that she’d finished drying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm, that sounds lovely,” Weiss said. “I’m gonna get changed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time Weiss had thrown on a lazy Saturday outfit, Ruby had the pan already on the stove. Two slices each of bread and cheese singles were laid out on a plate, and the cover to their non-baking stick of butter laid open, knife already next to it. Ruby had a mischievous glint in her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like that look.” Weiss said warily. Ruby grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a surprise for you today - </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> gonna make it, and I’m gonna help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have the fire extinguisher ready?” Weiss joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon,” Ruby said. “Grilled cheese is </span>
  <em>
    <span>easy</span>
  </em>
  <span> - I know you can do it! There’s, like… three whole steps!” Weiss was still nervous, so Ruby added, “I’ll be here the whole time. I still love cooking for you, and I don’t plan on stopping that any time soon, but I think this could be fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss finally just shrugged, grabbing a spare hair tie from her desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Teach me, O great master chef!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby’s resounding giggle was worth every ounce of embarrassment that Weiss was about to bring on herself. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Ruby said. “I’m not gonna touch anything, unless things go horribly wrong, which I know they won’t.” Weiss gave the tiniest little frown - she did rather </span>
  <em>
    <span>enjoy</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ruby’s touch, though she knew that if she joked about that right now, they wouldn’t get much cooking done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First thing you’re gonna wanna do is heat up that pan,” Ruby said. “I’d say around medium should be good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss examined the controls for a moment, making sure she’d get the right burner. Amazingly, their stove had four, though two were larger than the others, and one of those apparently didn’t work as well, so she appreciated that Ruby had already selected the one that actually worked best - she could never remember which one it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Ruby said. “Now for the butter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> you use butter for this?” Weiss asked. “I can’t taste it anywhere when you make it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s for the pan,” Ruby explained. “It helps evenly distribute the heat around it better, so the bread isn’t half burnt and half undercooked.” She gestured to the butter knife. “Take a really thin slice, and put it in the center of the pan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss brought the knife to the butter, at what she assumed would be a ‘really thin slice,’ before actually cutting it, waiting for Ruby’s approval.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Teensy bit more,” she said, and Weiss adjusted, taking the small slice onto the knife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fortunately, the butter was still cold enough that she could easily flip it off of the knife and into the pan with the edge of her fingernail. Already, the butter had started liquifying ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now take the pan and try to spread the butter around,” Ruby said. “Try to mostly even it out.” Weiss nodded, taking the pan up by its handle. She began to tilt it, adjusting for the speed that the butter slid around the pan as it melted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When you think that’s about good, you can put the pan down and actually make the sandwich part,” Ruby advised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not going to tell me when to do that, are you?” Weiss asked. Ruby smiled knowingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one can teach you these things,” she advised sagely, with a fake wizened voice that was almost certainly a parody of her father’s. “You just have to develop a sense for it on your own.” Weiss just rolled her eyes, sliding the butter to a spot that it had missed until now. When it was approximately melted, she gave a tiny shrug, putting the pan back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should </span>
  <em>
    <span>probably</span>
  </em>
  <span> be able to do this part on your own,” Ruby said. “It’s just a plain ‘ol grilled cheese, so…” she gestured to the awaiting bread and cheese slices, laid out for her on a plate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The activity of making a sandwich that was literally two cheese singles between two slices of bread could not have been easier, but the pressure that came from Ruby watching was still ever so slightly noticeable for Weiss. She let the slices overlap in the middle, hoping that they weren’t hanging too far off of the edges.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now drop that onto the pan!” Ruby said. “You might wanna slide it around a bit so that the bottom slice absorbs all the butter.” Weiss took the sandwich in both hands and dropped it about four inches above the pan. The sizzle that it made upon contact was less dramatic than she would have expected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great!” Ruby said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long do I cook it for?” Weiss asked, ready to set a timer on her scroll. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby just smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t think of it as a specific amount of time,” Ruby explained. “Just take it off when that side is done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how do I know that?” Weiss asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Smell, mostly,” Ruby said. “I guess it’s sorta cheating for us, because we smell </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> better than most people do.” When Weiss still wasn’t convinced, Ruby shrugged her shoulders, adding, “You can also just use the butter knife to lift it up and check the color of the bread.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally satisfied with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> answer, Weiss took the knife in her hand, preparing to do just that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> sleep?” She asked Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty well,” she said, stretching a little. “I finally made some real progress on my commissions.” She winked. “And your surprise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Won’t you just </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell</span>
  </em>
  <span> me what that is, already?” Weiss said. “You keep taunting me with it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby threw up her arms in mock exasperation. “Well, I’ve gotta hype it up! You freaking recorded a love song for me and put it on cassette, so you’re like the best girlfriend ever! My gift has to be that cool, too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss rolled her eyes. She stepped away from the stove for a moment, pulling Ruby into her embrace. With her free hand, she cupped Ruby’s cheek, smiling as her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before gently fluttering shut. Ruby’s hands automatically found their way to her waist, and Weiss’ head tilted ever so slightly to the left as their lips met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby was always so </span>
  <em>
    <span>sweet,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Weiss savored that taste as they fell into one another. There was truly something magical about kissing Ruby Rose - sometimes it was intense, hurried, and passionate, but just as often, the feeling was so simple, so effortless. Each one somehow found a way to be ever so slightly different, just the </span>
  <em>
    <span>tiniest</span>
  </em>
  <span> bit new, and Weiss simply could not pinpoint the exact aspect of kissing Ruby that made it as special as it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps if she kept doing it, she might eventually find out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might wanna check the stove,” Ruby laughed, gently pulling apart. She didn’t seem too hurried to leave Weiss’ embrace, though they both knew the sole reason for that was because she could return whenever she liked. Weiss found that she was already giving a warm, tender smile, and she winked before turning away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the record,” Weiss said, using the butter knife to gently lift up the sandwich, “I may indeed be the best girlfriend ever, but I sang that song for you because I wanted to. Not every gift of mine has to be evenly reciprocated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know,” Ruby said. “If that were the case, I would have </span>
  <em>
    <span>probably</span>
  </em>
  <span> gotten started on this earlier than I did, anyways.” Weiss conceded the point - she’d made that song for Ruby last semester, which felt like ages ago now. “But I wanted to make this for you, too, and I’m pretty sure you’re gonna love it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might love it more if you told me what it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Weiss teased. She was being facetious - she knew Ruby wanted to preserve the surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just gonna have to wait and see!” Ruby teased back. Weiss straightened up a little as Ruby’s hand lovingly tapped her backside, just to the left of her tail. She simply gave Ruby a side-eye, which her girlfriend of course pretended not to notice whatsoever.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss checked the sandwich again, and she now deemed it appropriately grilled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do I take it out?” She asked. Ruby looked at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just pull it out of the pan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Without a spatula?” Weiss asked. The pan was rather hot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, that’d get a spatula dirty,” Ruby said. “You can do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss, rolling her eyes at Ruby’s insistence on that phrase, did her best to finegle the knife under the sandwich, lifting it out from the pan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now do I put it back down on the other side?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, this side needs butter too,” Ruby said. “You can let it rest on the plate for a sec while you add that back in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Same amount?” Weiss asked, putting the sandwich down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe a little less.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss nodded, taking a slightly thinner slice and dropping it onto the pan. Unlike last time, this drop of butter sizzled angrily, bubbling and popping the instant it hit the pan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Turn down the heat a bit,” Ruby coaxed as Weiss instinctively jumped back from the pan at the sound. “Then spread this butter around, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was so quiet the first time,” Weiss mused. Ruby laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, the pan’s finished heating up now. You should probably let this side cook for less time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I turned the heat down!” Weiss said, confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but the temperature change isn’t instant,” Ruby said. “Most of the heat comes from the pan itself, now - the burner is still on so that it doesn’t cool down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss didn’t know much about thermodynamics, but that made sense. The butter had spread much more quickly this time, likely because it had melted almost immediately. Weiss put the sandwich back onto the pan, with the uncooked side down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There!” Ruby said. “Just check on that, pull it out when it’s ready, and you’ll be good to go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It really is that simple, huh?” Weiss asked, now embarrassed that she hadn’t tried it earlier. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup,” Ruby said. Her eyes went off to some distant, imaginary place. “My, um… my mom actually showed me, when I was little.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss blinked. She’d spent around three quarters of the waking (and non-waking) hours of her college career with Ruby, and this was probably the third or fourth mention of Summer Rose that she had ever witnessed, and none of them had lasted for very long. She resolved to tread </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> carefully - she wanted to make the most out of Ruby’s trust in her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought your father was the master chef,” Weiss replied tenderly. She hoped that her tone conveyed that she was ready to have a ‘normal’ conversation with Ruby about her mother, but still remained hyper-sensitive to Ruby’s feelings regarding the matter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was,” Ruby said wistfully. “Mom only knew a few things, but her best was grilled cheese.” There was a pause. “She used to make one for Yang as a snack when she got back from preschool.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss just hummed, not sure how to reply, but still trying to encourage Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She started doing it for me, too, when I went to preschool. Yang </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried</span>
  </em>
  <span> making them for herself, so Mom didn’t have to do two pans at once, but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t imagine that that lasted,” Weiss laughed gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope,” Ruby chuckled. “Dad says Yang’s mom was a terrible cook - maybe that’s where she got it from.” Her tone lost a bit of the brightness that it had gained from that statement before she continued. “Not to say that Summer wasn’t Yang’s mom, too - she was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I… ask about that?” Weiss began softly. “I… I gathered that you two were half-sisters, in the genetic sense, but I never asked…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-oh,” Ruby said, wiping her eye a little. She absentmindedly followed Weiss to their desks, now that Weiss had finished cooking. “Sure, yeah. I guess there is a bit to explain…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss pulled out her chair, carefully observing Ruby as she did the same. Wordlessly, Weiss offered half of the sandwich she’d made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, c’mon, Weiss! This is the first thing you’ve ever made for yourself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I want to share it with you.” She said. She’d tried to keep her tone a little light, but the lingering presence of Summer had weighed down the statement so much that the proposal turned out deathly serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wordlessly, Ruby took the offered half, biting down. Her eyes were just the slightest bit wet at the corners.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss honestly wondered if she should just drop the conversation right here - they’d already made great progress, and she didn’t want this spectre to loom over the rest of their day. However, after swallowing her first bite, Ruby continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…” Ruby said. She gave a small smile. “This is great, by the way.” Weiss flushed. She hadn’t expected such a compliment on her first attempt, and certainly not now that she was aware of the emotional weight behind this particular meal for Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-anyways, yeah… Yang’s mom was named Raven.” Weiss hesitantly took a bite of her own as Ruby continued. “Dad doesn’t talk about her very much, but she left only a few weeks after Yang was born.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I didn’t know that,” Weiss said. She had always assumed that Yang’s mother had died, just like Ruby’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Ruby said. “The way I understand it is… Yang wasn’t really planned. Raven was the kind of werewolf who leaned a bit more into the wolf side than the human one. Quite a bit more, I guess, because once Yang was born, and she knew that Dad wanted to raise her… y’know, among humans… she just kinda left with her pack, and that was that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… awful,” Weiss said. “I suppose that my parents aren’t much better, but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Ruby said simply. “Then, around a year later, Dad ran into my mom again, and the year after that, they had me. Yang’s only two years older than me, so she doesn’t really remember anything before Mom was with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then, well… when I was… I dunno. Seven? Dad got a phone call.” Weiss nodded silently. Seven years old…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was a car crash,” Ruby said. Weiss could tell that she was trying her best to keep her words even, and wasn’t doing too well. Timidly, she let her hand rest on Ruby’s knee, earning a smile from her. It wasn’t the radiant beam of sunshine that usually came with Ruby’s smiles, but Weiss appreciated it all the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t really remember much. There were policemen at our door, and they asked to talk to Dad alone. Yang and I were sitting in the living room, trying to overhear them.” Ruby took a shuddering breath. “When I was around thirteen, I finally asked my dad to explain it to me. What had, y’know… happened.” She calmed herself a little. “I was just getting really used to all the were stuff, and… well. You’ve seen how good we are at healing and everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss blinked, realizing - any car crash that was able to genuinely kill a werewolf like Summer, </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> without silver, would have to be absolutely gruesome.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When he finally was ready to explain it,” Ruby said shakily, “He told me that it had happened on the highway. A semi truck in front of her started to swerve, and before she could react, it toppled over on its side. They figured that Mom had probably been able to slow down a little, but even still, when you hit a solid surface like that at sixty miles an hour…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss just nodded, making sure that Ruby knew that she didn’t need any further elaboration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The guy driving the truck survived - they tested him and found out he’d been drinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A heavy feeling of sympathy immediately welled up in Weiss’ heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, um… that’s why I’ve never drank alcohol. That, and with what it did to my uncle…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss nodded. Qrow had apparently started going clean just a few months ago, but she was somewhat aware of the damage that it had done to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the same way,” Weiss said softly. “I can’t remember a time that I’ve ever seen my </span>
  <em>
    <span>own</span>
  </em>
  <span> mother sober.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby just nodded. “Yeah. After that, Qrow started sticking around with us a bit more - he usually did his own thing before, but after that… I dunno. I guess he was worried about my dad and everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is he… Summer’s brother?” Weiss asked. Ruby laughed a singular laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No - he’s actually Raven’s, believe it or not. They grew up spending most of their time living in their wolves, as a pack, but they still had to integrate into human society a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> bit, just to stay afloat. Sometimes their pack couldn’t hunt for everything, and they still needed… y’know, government IDs and stuff. Qrow and Raven ended up going to college here at Beacon - that’s how they met my dad. When their four years had passed, I guess Qrow ended up liking human society more than how he’d grown up, but Raven went back. But she still came to see my dad every now and again - Qrow told me they only </span>
  <em>
    <span>dated</span>
  </em>
  <span> dated for like a year before they had Yang.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did your dad end up meeting Summer?” Weiss asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“College, too,” Ruby said. “She was actually Raven’s roommate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way.” Weiss said. “He dated Yang’s mom, and then when she left, he started dating her </span>
  <em>
    <span>roommate?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a pretty small world,” Ruby laughed. “But Mom and Dad didn’t really date until they reconnected until after college, so it had been, like… I dunno. Seven years?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Weiss said. “I suppose that that does put a different spin on things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… yeah. That’s all of my weird, messed-up, sad family history.” She laughed. “Wanna make out and forget we ever talked about all this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby,” Weiss said gently. They’d both finished their halves of the sandwich a while ago. “I’d be delighted to kiss you, but it’s okay that you talked about this. I’m really happy you wanted to share it with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Ruby said, her smile a little bit warmer than the last one. “I just… I dunno. I don’t think about Mom when I </span>
  <em>
    <span>make</span>
  </em>
  <span> grilled cheese, but when I was teaching you, I remembered some of the things she said to me, so… I guess I still have that little piece of her, after all this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss smiled. She grabbed the plate and their drinks, standing up to kiss Ruby on the forehead. Her ears wiggled forward and back happily at the contact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any plans today?” Weiss asked, loading the dishwasher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” Ruby admitted. She gave a sly smile. “I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hoping</span>
  </em>
  <span> that you’d take me up on the kissing…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even through the saddest moments, she was still </span>
  <em>
    <span>undeniably</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ruby Rose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>see,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Weiss said. She’d let her hair down after cooking, but she unsubtly made a show of tying it back up again. Ruby grinned, now standing up from her chair. Weiss took her time sauntering over to Ruby, gently pushing her until the back of her legs were pressed up against her bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you have anything particular in mind?” Weiss purred.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This seems exciting so far,” Ruby said, her voice low. Without warning, her arm wrapped around Weiss’ middle, and Ruby’s tail disappeared as she began pulling her down onto the bed. It was a little tricky, as they had to turn sideways as they got down onto it, and there wasn’t much space, but the gesture was still romantic nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Ruby said, between kisses. “Thank you, for listening to all that. Sorry - I guess I might have kinda put a downer on today…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop apologizing,” Weiss said, letting her lips gently press into Ruby’s forehead for a moment. She withdrew, meeting Ruby’s eyes. “I love you, Ruby Rose. I always love hearing about you, even when it gets a little sad. It’s still a part of </span>
  <em>
    <span>you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> so it means the world to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby’s trademark thousand-watt smile finally returned, and to Weiss, it was like walking outside on a lovely summer’s day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really are the greatest girlfriend in the world,” Ruby said, her hand softly running up and down Weiss’ back. “Did I say that already?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did,” Weiss confirmed. She smiled. “Though I can always stand to hear it again.” Ruby just laughed, and their lips tenderly pressed together once more. Before they got too much further into it, Ruby stopped, as if she remembered something. She gently pushed Weiss upwards for a moment, meeting her eyes, and in that moment, those gorgeous, perfect silver eyes seemed to hold every single drop of Ruby’s radiant, beautiful soul. She gave Weiss another smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rain poured hard on the window outside their room. After thoroughly enjoying that round of kissing, especially with the extra emotional charge that it held, Weiss had gone to shower and Ruby decided that those thirty minutes or so (plus hairdryer time, of course) was the perfect opportunity to finish things up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took one last look at the project that had consumed the last twenty or so hours of her free time, checking her reference image for the thousandth time. Every gentle tuft of fur was perfectly shaped, every line properly shaded. It was time to show it to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss stepped out of the bathroom, with a towel wrapped around her body. She was becoming quite a bit more confident with nudity as it related to being a werewolf, but she still liked to preserve her modesty in other contexts. And, though it was tempting not to, she’d asked Ruby to do the same. They cared for one another a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> great deal, far more than the average college freshmen in a relationship - but they still wanted to take their time with the more… </span>
  <em>
    <span>physical</span>
  </em>
  <span> aspects of everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Ruby said as she returned to their bedroom. “Get dressed, I’ve got a little surprise for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss’ eyebrows shot up into her hairline. “Is it ready?” She asked, ecstatic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby’s smile was all too smug. “Maaaaaayyyyyyybe!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss had never gotten dressed so quickly in her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can look now!” She practically shouted, the instant her shirt was over her head. Ruby took her hands off of her eyes, gesturing for Weiss to sit at her desk. She did so, looking at Ruby’s external computer monitor. The tool she used to draw was minimized in a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready?” Ruby asked with a grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready!” Weiss nodded excitedly. Ruby was kneeling next to her, and she brought the mouse over to the minimized program. Weiss silently reached down, taking her other hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Click.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss let out a soft gasp as she looked into a mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before her, taking up Ruby’s entire screen, was a beautiful, hyper-realistic, </span>
  <em>
    <span>extremely</span>
  </em>
  <span> detailed portrait of her wolf. Weiss marvelled at the care that Ruby had taken to capture her likeness - the subtle asymmetry in the fur around her face, the way that the light perfectly reflected off of her icy blue eyes. It almost looked like Ruby had drawn every individual hair on Weiss’ face, and while she knew that that wasn’t true, the piece created that illusion flawlessly. Most impressively, Ruby had truly captured Weiss’ actual features - the exact width of her eyes, the length of her snout, the precise angle that her ears took on her head, and most of all, the thin scar that ran down her left eye socket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what do you think?” Ruby asked nervously. Weiss realized that she hadn’t said a word for at least two minutes, and Ruby wasn’t yet aware of how she felt. Rectifying that, Weiss turned to her, pulling her up into a long, passionate, loving kiss. Ruby delightedly reciprocated, and the awkwardness of their positions faded away instantly as Weiss melted into Ruby’s arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ruby,” Weiss finally said. “I think it’s the most wonderful, gorgeous image that anyone’s ever made of me.” She pressed her forehead into Ruby’s, a loving gesture that they would often do, in every form that they took. “It’s a perfect gift. I love it. Thank you so, so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” Ruby said, her laughter coming from sheer unadulterated joy more than anything humorous. “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>glad you like it.” She let out a nervous laugh. “I know you can’t really show it to anyone else besides Yang and Blake, or people will ask why I spent all this time drawing a random wolf for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I suppose not,” Weiss chuckled. She thought for a moment. “Winter and Robyn, too.” Ruby nodded. “Still, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> beautiful - how can I save it to my computer and everything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They spent the next few minutes setting up an application that would let Ruby send it to Weiss while still preserving its high resolution. The moment that it was saved on her laptop, Weiss made it her background, causing Ruby to blush. After taking one long look at it and sighing with joy, Weiss stood to face Ruby again. She took a wordless leap into Ruby’s arms, and Ruby caught her, spinning her around as they laughed together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I always forget how strong you are,” Weiss said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I drink a lot of milk!” Ruby claimed with a goofy smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss just rolled her eyes, and kissed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wanna listen to some music or something?” Ruby asked, still holding Weiss aloft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I know the perfect song,” Weiss said. Ruby let her down and she made her way over to the cassette player, pulling out the newest cassette that had been added to their collection. She inserted the tape, turning up the volume, and soon, Weiss’ gorgeous, clear voice could be heard over a group of violins.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she returned to Ruby’s arms, Weiss couldn’t ever imagine being anywhere else.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sunrise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Aaaaaaaaaaand here's the Snowbyrd bonus chapter! This one is *super* emotional and I'm really happy with it - I told you all that I had a really good idea...</p><p>It takes place in the current time of the fic (give or take a few months) but has a flashback to Winter and Robyn while they were still in college, and Robyn's off-campus apartment.<br/>Without further ado, please enjoy this bonus chapter, and, as always, thank you *very* very much for reading and enjoying The Werewolf of Beacon...</p><p>-Red</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hey!” Robyn said, leaning over to pull some fresh cookies out of the oven. “How was court?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shockingly dull,” Winter said, taking off her coat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn cocked her head. “I thought it was a murder trial today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was,” Winter said. “But they’re still in the jury selection process right now, and people were giving </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> excuse to get out of it.” She clapped her hands to her face in mock anguish, imitating someone that she’d evidently seen take the stand. “But if I go, who will feed my poor cat? Surely not the husband that I mentioned, no!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn covered her mouth in laughter. “Want a cookie?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter met her in the kitchen, wrapping a hand around her waist to kiss her. When they pulled apart, she took in Robyn’s attire - full face of makeup from her day, but a cozy outfit and the silly pink apron that Joanna had gotten her as a joke gift for her last birthday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look like the most stereotypical ‘50s housewife right now,” Winter laughed. “Stress-baking again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn nodded. “The Council is just full of idiots, I swear. I wish I could run for, like… mayor of </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mantle, and I could fix it all instead of dealing with their stupid bickering.” She gave Winter a sidelong glance as she went to turn off the oven. “If you’re going to make fun of me for being a housewife, by the way, the wolves and I can just keep all these cookies to ourselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter paused, already mid-bite. Robyn just rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cookies?” Came a voice from beside them. Fiona’s head was poking out of her bedroom. It was clear that she’d followed her supernaturally talented nose, though Winter was surprised that she’d only noticed just now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Robyn laughed, grabbing her a plate. “The Mantle Council spent thirty whole minutes this evening arguing about the appropriate maximum for the height of household fences, so as a result, I have made cookies.” Winter put a sympathetic hand on her back as Fiona grabbed a plate, and checked her watch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fiona, aren’t you streaming right now?” Winter asked. “It’s Thursday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, Ice Queen,” Fiona said, still clearly feeling a bit of her on-stream persona. “I took an ad break. Chat’s small today, and it had been like two hours, so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter rolled her eyes, painfully embarrassed that she understood at least some of those words. Fiona was a dear friend, but her profession made absolutely no sense to either of them, and May and Joanna only understood enough to listen to her archives while they worked. Fiona’s moderators would also text one of them on occasion, if she was very late for a stream, though that was pretty rare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’re you playing?” Robyn asked. They all asked these questions not because they necessarily understood the answers, but because they all vented to Fiona about their jobs often enough that they made sure to take an honest interest in hers. They were all slowly learning - once, a court trial had gone on </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> long and was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>dreadfully boring that Winter had tuned in to watch. According to Fiona, her chat had gone </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy</span>
  </em>
  <span> that night, so excited about this person that Fiona knew. Having a conversation with her roommate while two hundred other people watched had certainly been an experience, to say the least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That same 3D platformer,” Fiona said through her mouthful. “I keep falling off the stupid sand bird. They’ve started spamming emotes every time I miss this one jump.” They both just gave her an indulgent look before she took the plate of cookies back into her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell your girls that I made cookies!” Robyn called after her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They know!” Fiona said, and sure enough, both May and Joanna were on their way out. Both of them gave Fiona a kiss before she headed back to her stream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know,” Winter said, grabbing a plate for each of them. “Sometimes it feels like we have kids.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn laughed. “As if </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> could spend one single second around a baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Growing up with Weiss and Whitley was plenty, thank you,” Winter joked. “As soon as </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> started to sleep through the night, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> was born and the midnight crying happened all over again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you live in a giant mansion?” Joanna teased, taking a plate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter rolled her eyes. “The marble hallways carried sound surprisingly well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mom,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> May laughed. “Thanks for these, Robyn,” she added after taking a bite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank that jackass, Sleet, and his insistence on four-and-a-half foot fences,” Robyn said. “I’m tempted to drive by his house with a measuring tape and see if he’s just making such a fuss about this just because he doesn’t wanna change his own stupid fence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From what I read in the paper, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Joanna said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The four of them made small talk for a while before the other two wandered off, leaving Winter and Robyn alone in the kitchen, their conversation slowly taking them to the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We still on for groceries tomorrow?” Robyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Works for me,” Winter said. “Noon, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you can drag yourself out of bed that early,” Robyn teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In my defense, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> supposed to be nocturnal,” Winter replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True, but I fixed that,” Robyn giggled. She gave Winter a look. “Speaking of…” she pulled back her collar, revealing that the two tiny pinpricks that Winter had left on her a few days ago were now totally healed. “Care for a fresh one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, well, if you’re offering,” Winter said with a devilish grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn stood, gently taking her hand and leaving her into their bedroom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did the council do </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> besides argue today?” Winter asked, undoing her shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing relevant, no,” Robyn replied, pulling her sweatshirt over her head. She reached into their bedroom’s mini-fridge to pull out some blood that they’d saved. Their process was generally safer and easier when Robyn herself was already full.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry,” Winter said, hanging her tie on the back of their chair. “I know you said you wish you could just run for mayor of Mantle, but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, the closest job for that is mayor of all of Atlas,” Robyn sighed. “And there’s no way a twenty-four year old lesbian vampire who lives in a Mantle house with roommates is going to be elected to </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> prestigious office any time soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter paused, her shirt discarded, wearing just a bralette and dress pants. “Hey,” she said. “Maybe not tomorrow or anything, but… I think you could really do it, if you wanted to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn looked up at her, sheepish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just saying that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I mean it,” Winter said. “Sure, there’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of people in Atlas who’d try to stop you from being mayor - my father is most certainly one of them.” Robyn rolled her eyes at the mere mention of Winter’s father. “But,” Winter continued, “If the Schnee name alone means </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> at all… I will happily throw it behind you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-Really?” Robyn asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I definitely knew that </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> would support me, but not with the name…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I would,” Winter said immediately. The two ended up in a tender embrace. Winter let out a little chuckle. “I may not </span>
  <em>
    <span>enjoy</span>
  </em>
  <span> it, but if a press conference from me will kick-start your campaign, just from the publicity stunt of ‘Winter Schnee gives first press conference in years,’ then I’d do it in a heartbeat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’d be quite a kickoff…” Robyn said, her brows knitting together. “Still, I… I don’t have the experience, the age…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we’ll wait for that part.” Winter said. “Besides, the mayor won’t even be up for reelection for a while, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two years,” Robyn said. “So… maybe eight months before the very beginning of the election cycle, if I wanna really overdo it? More like a year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a lot of time,” Winter said. “A lot of time for you to start getting a little local fame, that sort of thing. I mean, you’ve already got quite a start - you’re the youngest person to ever serve on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mantle city council!</span>
  </em>
  <span> That’s not nothing!” Robyn took a breath, finally allowing herself to picture it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re… we’re really trying this, aren’t we?” She asked. She shook her head. “It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy </span>
  </em>
  <span>- Atlas is one of the biggest cities in Remnant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s also one of the youngest, except for maybe Vale,” Winter pointed out. “And despite all the businessmen like my father, it’s definitely open-minded, too.” She smiled. “I think that a twentysomething lesbian vampire for mayor will be </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> what this city needs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’ve got a point,” Robyn said. “And I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> be below the actual governor, so…” she shook her head, amazed with herself. “Okay! Okay, Snowflake, you have somehow convinced me.” She gave Winter a kiss, walking over to their bed, still watching out of the corner of her eye. “If we lose, it’s your fault,” she joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take those chances,” Winter laughed, following her girlfriend to bed.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Around half an hour later, the two of them sat back blissfully, with tiny streaks of red on Winter’s lips and two fresh little pinpricks on Robyn’s neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s still so strange to think that this is what my life is, now…” Winter said to the ceiling. Robyn made a concerned sound, and she clarified. “Not in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad</span>
  </em>
  <span> way - I just… I never thought I’d make it out of that awful mansion.” She rolled over, meeting Robyn’s eyes. “I never thought I’d ever feel the sun on my face - not until I met you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn gave her a warm kiss, and the two of them naturally intertwined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hard to think that you couldn’t always do that,” Robyn admitted. “It already feels like it’s been so long, but…” she sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll never forget that first night,” Winter said.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Snowflake,” Robyn said. “Thirsty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter looked her up and down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For you, or in general?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For me,” Robyn laughed. “I know you said you wanted to ease into it, but… it’s been about two months. Wanna try a second time this week?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter would have blushed, if she could. The two of them had only been together for </span>
  <em>
    <span>three</span>
  </em>
  <span> months, and when Winter learned that by feeding from Robyn, she may eventually start to feel a bit more human, she’d been practically giddy at the idea. She was still nervous, however, because of their budding romantic relationship, and because she would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>literally</span>
  </em>
  <span> taking blood from her new girlfriend, something that took her time to recover from.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-Are you sure?” Winter asked. “It’s not… too fast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure,” Robyn said. She put her hand on Winter’s shoulder. “You’re already starting to feel a little bit warm - that’s progress!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Winter said. “But still, are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re better from last time?”</span>
</p><p><span>“I am,” Robyn reassured. “I even stocked up a bit extra from the hospital - I’m good to go, I promise!”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>One of the things that Winter had begun to learn about being a vampire were some of the more humane ways to obtain blood. The theoretical ideal for a vampire would be a human partner or close friend okay with opening up their veins, though </span><em><span>one</span></em><span> person alone usually would need more time to recover between feedings than a vampire would be able to afford. However, hospitals (at least in Mantle) would frequently end up with excess blood from donations and from testing - they’d be the wrong type for donors, or would have some kind of minor disease that vampires were immune to anyways. It was a bit… shady, to be sure, but they paid for it - Robyn had told her that vampires were a not insignificant portion of hospitals’ local incomes. Animal blood also helped, which Joanna, May, and Fiona would sometimes get for them while going off to hunt in their weres every month.</span></p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t a perfect system, but Robyn told her that she’d never had to attack anyone at night just to stay alive, and Winter hoped that she’d be able to keep saying the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>certain</span>
  </em>
  <span> that you’ll be okay?” Winter finally asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to find Robyn, already shirtless, standing next to her bed. She froze, her eyes drinking in the sight. She’d seen it before, certainly, but...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m certain.” Robyn said, full of confidence. “If it’s too fast for you, that’s okay, but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter blinked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, are we talking about feeding from you, or…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re talking about feeding from me, yes,” she replied. After a teensy pause, she winked. “Plenty of time for </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> later, though…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter was </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> glad that she was still unable to blush.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn sat up against her headboard, shivering just a little bit in the early spring evening. Winter, also shirtless (it was cleaner - though she was at least twenty percent sure it was mainly because Robyn liked seeing her like this), slowly, delicately crawled on top of her. Their faces met, and Robyn took one second to meet Winter’s ice-blue eyes before baring her throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” Winter asked, her pearly white fangs all too visible in her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready,” Robyn said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though they’d done this nearly ten times by now, Winter still hesitated. She carefully brought her absurdly sharp teeth down to Robyn’s tender, soft throat, wincing ever so slightly as she felt herself gently break the skin. The smell of Robyn’s blood wasn’t too unlike what Winter had become somewhat used to over the last few months - Robyn </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> human, by definition, but she was still close enough for Winter to draw the association. Winter carefully let her fangs bury themselves deeper in Robyn’s neck, feeling Robyn’s hand softly cover the back of her head, holding her there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter retracted her fangs and began to drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she was honest with herself, absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> tasted like Robyn Hill - the human blood that she’d had before tasted good, and more importantly, was filling, like a solid steak dinner. The blood of a pure vampire, the taste of which she would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> be able to remove from her mind, was essentially </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> sweet - being forced to drink Arthur’s blood had felt like chugging a liter of maple syrup. Robyn, though, was just right - her blood </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> sweet, but she reminded Winter of spring rain, of lavender petals. Robyn was like a perfectly seasoned three-course meal, with the most amazing balance of taste and substance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, something began to stir within Winter. She couldn’t tell what it was, at first - just a sort of… feeling, in her chest. She paused for a moment, curious, and Robyn noticed right away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay, Snowflake?” Robyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter kept drinking rather than replying right away, because she wasn’t quite sure. Her body felt oddly… </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot,</span>
  </em>
  <span> for some reason - though she imagined that part of that was due to Robyn’s presence, and relative state of undress. That wasn’t it, though, and Winter’s brow actually furrowed, even as she stayed over Robyn’s throat - no reason to waste the blood.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, out of nowhere, it finally happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An unmistakable pulse echoed throughout all of Winter’s body - starting from her chest, the sensation raced throughout her, reaching all the way down to her fingertips and toes. It happened again, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span> and suddenly Winter needed to let go of Robyn because her chest was burning up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter leaned back, taking a huge, gasping breath, as if she’d spent several minutes underwater. She looked at Robyn with a slight panic, her chest heaving - wait a minute…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gods…” Robyn said, absentmindedly covering her neck with a small towel. “Winter, you’re…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Breathing, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Winter thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been so long, she’d forgotten what it was like.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tenderly, Robyn approached her, her free hand cupping Winter’s cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Robyn whispered. “You used to feel like an ice cube, but now…” Winter covered Robyn’s hand with her own, nodding. There were tears in her eyes. Slowly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> slowly, Robyn’s hand began to move down her body, stopping at a non-sexual location on her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a tiny moment, the entire world was still. And then, unmistakeably, she felt it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After three and a half months of silence, Winter Schnee finally had a heartbeat again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They just stared at one another, uncertain of what to say. Winter had vaguely known that </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> like this was coming, but… it had happened so fast, so all at once…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Snowflake,” Robyn said, her smile warm and her eyes full of joy. “Welcome back to the world of the living.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their kiss was so elated, so passionate, so absolutely overjoyed, that Robyn accidentally bled on her sheets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, that’s probably enough,” Robyn said with a laugh. “Lemme grab a bandage.” She leaned over to her bedside table to grab the one she’d prepared - fortunately, her vampiric healing was powerful enough that she’d likely only need it for an hour. Winter sat back on her heels, letting Robyn unwrap it. When she moved to clean up the trail of blood that had rather embarrassingly made its way down to her chest, threatening to stain her bra, Winter held up a finger. She smiled as the gesture alone stopped Robyn cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, silently, seductively, Winter’s tongue dragged itself up Robyn’s chest. Robyn almost immediately shuddered at the sensation, wrapping Winter up in her arms. In one fluid motion, Winter cleaned up the extra little trail, placing a delicate kiss on the puncture marks themselves before Robyn applied her bandage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Winter,” Robyn said - it was serious because she hadn’t used a nickname. “Where in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Remnant</span>
  </em>
  <span> did you learn </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> little trick? Because you </span>
  <em>
    <span>certainly</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t get it from me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter just winked. Robyn shook her head, then gave Winter a raised eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay? You haven’t, um… said anything…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter gave up - she’d been hoping for a perfect opportunity, but this was certainly close enough. She took both of Robyn’s hands in her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn just blinked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you,” Winter said again. She looked away, sheepish. “I’m sorry, I… I wanted it to be the first thing I said, after…” her hand slowly reached to cover her chest. The little pulse was still there. “I - it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, and I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped or ruined things, I know it’s really soon, but… I’ve just never felt so certain that that’s how I feel about you until right now, and…” She paused, her breath catching in her throat. She’d have to get used to that again. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Sweetheart,” Robyn said, wrapping Winter up in her arms. “Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> feel shame or remorse about telling me the way that you feel about me. I want you to be honest with your feelings, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> want you to be afraid that I’ll judge you for the way that you feel. Okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Winter said, nodding gratefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear, I am gonna </span>
  <em>
    <span>deck</span>
  </em>
  <span> your asshole of a father if I ever see him in person,” Robyn said, angrily looking up at their ceiling. “His ass is </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span> for making you </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> afraid to express yourself.” She sighed, pulling herself out of her anger. She looked at Winter, her eyes still wet, but most importantly, expectant. Robyn cupped Winter’s cheeks with both of her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, regardless of </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> of that…” her smile was like a summer’s day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The barrier that Winter had been holding up for so many years finally crumbled at those simple words, and she felt herself just crash down, falling into Robyn’s waiting arms. A physical sensation of calm, of peace, of </span>
  <em>
    <span>relief</span>
  </em>
  <span> just washed over Winter as the world finally righted itself. The pair fell backwards onto the bed, trying to be even closer together than was physically possible. Winter was crying, and based on the gentle sobs coming from Robyn, she was, too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their tears weren’t from sorrow, and truly not </span>
  <em>
    <span>precisely</span>
  </em>
  <span> from happiness, either. That was a large part of it, certainly, but the thing that had brought both women to tears so late in the evening was the sheer feeling of </span>
  <em>
    <span>release.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The fact that they had reached this point, come here together, and that right now, at least for the moment, there was nothing else to worry about. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had each other.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Robyn said, staring up at the ceiling. “I have a really dumb idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me,” Winter said instantly. She’d been honestly too excited to properly sleep, and the same appeared to be the case for Robyn. By now, it was almost six in the morning. They were absolutely going to be paying for this later, when they finally did manage to sleep, but that was a thousand years from now, and neither of them were worrying about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn turned over to meet her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s watch the sunrise,” she said. “Right now. Just the two of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter gave her a look. “Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>certain</span>
  </em>
  <span> that that will be safe?” She asked. “I know that I just took… </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite</span>
  </em>
  <span> a step today, but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>entirely</span>
  </em>
  <span> certain,” Robyn admitted. “But it should still be kinda cloudy today, and it’s just sunrise, which shouldn’t be too bad…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter was still nervous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try sticking like one finger into the sunlight,” Robyn said. “And if it starts to burn, we’ll dunk it in a cup of water and that’ll be that, curtains drawn. Okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Winter said. “When’s it supposed to rise?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten minutes or so,” Robyn said, checking her scroll. “Wanna get dressed, in case we can go and sit on the balcony?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only if I can steal your sweatshirt,” Winter said with a wink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten minutes passed, and Robyn stood inside the first sunbeam to make its way to the cozy apartment. Winter stood before her, cloaked in shadow, trying to gather the resolve to step reach out to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched as slowly, gently, the rays of the sun began to kiss her fingertips. She closed her eyes, waiting to feel a burning sensation - she honestly wasn’t sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> what feeling to expect. She’d fortunately kept out of the sun almost completely ever since becoming a vampire, except for the morning when she’d first met Robyn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few seconds, though… her fingers were just fine. Shuddering, Winter stuck a hand into the sunlight. Then her arm. Robyn grabbed the outstretched hand, kissing Winter’s knuckles. Without warning, she pulled Winter into an embrace - holding her as if they were about to dance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their kiss was short, Robyn quickly cut it off to turn Winter towards the sunrise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can kiss me all you like,” she said. “But </span>
  <em>
    <span>this…</span>
  </em>
  <span> this is worth waiting for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spent the next several minutes in silence, with Robyn’s arm around her waist, watching the sun peek out from the horizon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… it’s so beautiful,” Winter said. She shook her head. “I… I never thought I’d see one ever again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Robyn replied, pulling Winter down to sit in the elongating column of light now filtering in through their window, “Now we can watch as many as you like.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let her head rest on Winter’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Together.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Winter said, staring up at the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm?” Robyn asked, picking her head up from Winter’s chest to meet her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wanna get up early and watch the sunrise?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wordlessly, Robyn picked up her scroll and turned on the alarm that she always had saved for such an event. Once that was done, she curled back up under the covers, receiving a kiss on the top of her head as soon as she settled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And there we are! It felt *so* good to show this moment between these two - I really hope that this landed as hard as I intended it to. Either way, thank you so much for reading, and let me know what you think!<br/>Next up is Chapter 13 of the main fic!</p><p>-Red</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Vignettes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well goodness me, it's been a while!</p><p>Sorry for the long wait, things sorta picked up and I didn't get a chance to really write for a whole week. But I think that this little chapter is definitely worth the wait - apparently, I don't know how to stop myself.<br/>As a warning, these first two vignettes (the second especially) get a *little* bit spicy near the end, so watch out for that. As always, I try to keep these things classy, but I hope you'll enjoy.</p><p>Without further ado, here's this incredibly long bonus chapter - and thank you all SO MUCH for 750 kudos!!!</p><p>-Red</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Blake? I’m here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awesome - I’ll be just a sec!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss put her bag down alongside the couch in Blake and Yang’s apartment, after letting herself in. Now that it was once again folded into its couch form instead of acting as an extra bed for Ruby and Weiss, they’d moved a low wooden table in front of it. Weiss sat down on the edge of it, facing the bedroom. She returned the couple’s spare key to the smaller pocket on the inside of her bag, making sure not to lose it. They’d originally entrusted it to Ruby for emergencies, but its use had gradually shifted to letting Ruby or Weiss drop by without having to be let in by someone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Blake said, poking her head out of her shared bedroom with Yang. “Come on in - I’m almost finished setting up in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss nodded, standing up to follow her. She made sure to take her bag, because Blake had asked her to bring some of her own makeup for their little photoshoot, so she could use her own foundation and concealer to match her skin tone. If Weiss was honest with herself, she was a little nervous - she’d never really enjoyed having her makeup “done” by someone else before. The only few occasions that she’d even let someone else do it were very early in her opera singing career, but she had quickly learned how to do her own stage makeup as well. Everything else she’d picked up on her own from the internet, or from her </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> small amount of boarding school friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Weiss walked into Blake and Yang’s room, she imagined that this setup was not how the space normally looked. Blake had hung a black sheet up on hooks along the wall, which Weiss imagined were normally used to hold a set of string lights, considering that she saw a few strands of them in a neat pile on the bed. Blake had also borrowed a chair from the kitchen table where Weiss would clearly be sitting, and the small desk in their room was currently strewn with more makeup than Weiss or even her mother had ever owned in their entire lives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake caught Weiss staring at the impressive collection, and her tail flicked back and forth with just a bit of nervousness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know, I’m a hoarder,” Blake said with a chuckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t going to say that,” Weiss replied, sincere. “Trust me - </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> cannot judge anyone for owning too many things. I have three pairs of white heels here at school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d intended to use that comment to level with Blake, but it was at least extreme enough to warrant her raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Three pairs of </span>
  <em>
    <span>white</span>
  </em>
  <span> heels?” She asked. “How many outfits can those even match with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss crossed her arms, not even needing to gesture to her white dress. Blake blinked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I must have forgotten who I was talking to for a second,” she laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve really found my color and stuck with it,” she laughed, gesturing to the white ears on the top of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Blake said. She gestured to a subsection of her makeup array, which was covered in various blues - an eyeshadow palette ranging from sky blue to a deep purple, a small assortment of blue eyeliners and mascaras, and even three different purple lipsticks. “That’s why I’m making you branch out today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss gulped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax,” Blake laughed. “I know what I’m doing. I once bought Yang a shirt that wasn’t yellow, orange, or brown, and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>loves</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. You’re in good hands, I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss briefly recalled seeing Yang in a sea-green crop top at a few points during their friendship. Considering that it was basically the only garment she owned in such a color, Weiss had to admit that that was impressive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So... what’s the theme you’re going for?” Weiss asked, sitting down in one of the chairs that Blake had set up in front of the smallish desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking sort of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>galaxy</span>
  </em>
  <span> look,” Blake said, her eyes sparkling at the mere idea. “I’m basically gonna cover your face in stars and stuff, draw a constellation across your nose... it’s gonna be super cool. I think your hair is what’s really gonna sell it - the white will really help with the ‘otherworldly’ vibe I’m going for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds... honestly incredible,” Weiss replied. “Where do we start?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you mind redoing your ponytail?” Blake asked. “Like... it looks really cute, that thing you do with the front section, but...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank you,” Weiss said, reaching up to pull out her hair tie. She took out the two bobby pins she’d been wearing, kept them in her mouth, and pulled the rest of her hair back. Then she tied it all up together, giving Blake as much real estate to work with as she could get.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, this meant that she also had to keep her ears in, but at least there was still space for her tail in the chair that Blake had set up for her. Weiss noticed that Blake actually kept her own tail in as she organized the things she’d set out along with her brushes, checking a series of reference images to make sure that the colors matched. She was probably worried about knocking over the delicate assortment of powders on her desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” Blake said, after another minute or so. “Let’s get to work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, remind me what got you into this?” Weiss asked, moving her mouth and head as little as possible while Blake started working around her upper forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly? Halloween,” Blake said with a laugh. “You have to understand - growing up in Menagerie, spending </span>
  <em>
    <span>most</span>
  </em>
  <span> of my time in my panther once I could do it on my own, with my parents only really taking human form to talk to me, or like... change diapers, and other parent activities that required hands, I didn’t really grow up with the societal expectation to wear makeup.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paused, swapping over to a fresh applicator wedge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, my mom did have a few eyeliner pencils and stuff around, and whenever she needed to like go and shop for stuff that we needed for the house, like cleaning supplies and whatever, she’d put a little bit on. So, one Halloween, when a lot of parents in my neighborhood would let their kids dress up as whatever and just run around in the forest, I asked my mom if I could use some of it for my costume.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you end up using it for?” Weiss asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whiskers,” Blake laughed. “I was like, seven, and I was too short for all the mirrors in the little house that my parents had back then, so I found a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pond</span>
  </em>
  <span> to see my reflection and drew little kitty whiskers on myself and went as a black cat for Halloween.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like that’s cheating,” Weiss said, trying not to laugh because she knew that the action would disrupt Blake’s work. She smiled at the image of a little seven-year-old Blake, running around in a child’s drawing of cat whiskers and a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> real set of cat ears and tail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It basically was, yeah,” Blake said with a laugh. “But after that Halloween, I fell in love with the look so much that I just kinda started... wearing it around, all the time. None of the other kids judged me, really, and their parents didn’t care - but I think I mostly just got away with it because of how well it fit with my ears. Here - turn your head that way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took Weiss’ chin in her hand at those words, delicately pushing her to one side. Weiss obliged her, and she felt Blake begin applying the sparkly purple eyeshadow that she’d prepared earlier to her right temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyways, I started doing it so much that I started asking my dad to look up how other people did it on his computer, and I’d try to draw the pictures that I liked as quickly as I could before he needed to take it back for work and stuff. I didn’t have a scroll or anything, so...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss hummed in acknowledgement, not wishing to move her jaw because she knew it would change the shape of her cheek, where Blake had now moved to. She waited until Blake went to reapply eyeshadow to her brush to respond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So then what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think it was my eighth or ninth birthday,” Blake said. “I don’t remember. My mom got me this like... baby’s first face paint kit or whatever, and told me I could do whatever I wanted with it, and well... I was hooked, from there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss let out a small laugh, making Blake pause before applying anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop smiling, you’ll mess me up,” she said, laughing a little bit herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, but that’s just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>cute!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Weiss replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, my parents did their best to be encouraging,” Blake responded. “Honestly, I had a phase where I’d sorta ‘grown out of it’ by the time I was, like... fifteen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Weiss asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shush, stop moving,” Blake said, though it was clear she was just teasing. “To answer your question, well... I started dating Adam. I sometimes would do like a kinda high-effort ‘normal’ makeup look, for him, but... he was never into it. He claimed that he always preferred my ‘natural’ look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss resisted the urge to scoff, knowing that the sudden motion would be counterproductive at the moment. She did roll her eyes, though, and that got a small smile out of Blake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, obviously, because he was a man, he assumed that I looked ‘natural’ with foundation, concealer, subtle eyeliner, and mascara,” she said with a laugh. “The first time he saw me without anything, he asked if I was ‘sick or something.’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Men are so gross,” Weiss joked as Blake went to change out her various tools.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gosh, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span> like you’re a lesbian,” Blake teased. “Adam, though... he was most certainly gross.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he killed a man in cold blood, once?” Weiss asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well... yeah,” Blake said. “And he was also a fanatic, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> an abusive boyfriend, but...” a small smile made its way to her lips, and she took a hushed tone, as if she were telling Weiss a secret. “I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> talking about his farts. I’d sleep next to him a fair amount of the time, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>somehow</span>
  </em>
  <span> thought that I, a werecreature with supernatural senses, wouldn’t be able to smell them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took an </span>
  <em>
    <span>impressive</span>
  </em>
  <span> amount of willpower for Weiss to not shout the word “Eww!” about fifteen times, but the presence of Blake’s fingers around her mouth and chin were </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough of a reminder that she managed to hold on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Needless to say, I’m much happier dating Yang,” Blake laughed. “This obviously isn’t the </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> benefit, but she smells a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> better than he ever did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss just nodded. Over time, she’d gotten better at noticing the subtler aspects of other weres’ scents - she now could tell if Yang had washed her hair the previous night if they sat near each other, because her shampoo smelled like citrus. On other days, though, Yang actually smelled much more like lavender, which Weiss had eventually come to learn was just a natural aspect of her scent, along with a subtle hint of pine needles. Blake often reminded her of juniper and sandalwood, sometimes with a hint of lavender, and Ruby, to her utter lack of surprise, frequently smelled like rose petals - though there were also hints of cinnamon and even jasmine there, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pair returned to silence for a while as Blake worked - Weiss felt her evening out the dark purple eyeshadow that she’d been using on the other side of her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I ask you a weird question?” Weiss asked, as Blake leaned back to check her work from afar, a thoughtful finger on her chin. She left a small purple smudge there, which Weiss found too cute and funny to point out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm? Oh, Weiss, I just told you about how my abusive terrorist ex-boyfriend used to have really gross farts. I think we’re well beyond weird topics of conversation at this point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss chuckled, conceding the point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do I... smell like? To you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake tilted her head at the question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been getting better at recognizing peoples’ unique scents,” Weiss confided, fully aware of how wildly odd this conversation would sound to anyone who wasn’t a werecreature. “Like, I started noticing that Yang smells like lavender, and stuff like that...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ohhh,” Blake said. She took a short whiff of the air, as if to confirm. “Well, I promise I’m not making fun of you or anything, but the most dominant part of your scent is </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> vanilla.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss stared at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss sighed. “That... that </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> surprise me, but...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> sticking to that one color,” Blake teased. “But, underneath that, I usually get hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and...” she narrowed her eyes, a taunting smile on her lips. “And rose petals, though I figure that’s just Ruby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Weiss’ face weren’t already mostly painted purple and blue, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>certain</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it would be crimson by now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>ashamed</span>
  </em>
  <span> about,” Blake said, her tone clearly conveying otherwise. “I mean, most Sunday mornings when we come over for pancakes, I can smell her on you so much it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>overwhelming,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss set her jaw, determined not to take this lying down. “So is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> why you always smell like lavender right as Ruby and I come over for new moons?” She frowned, pretending to think hard about a memory. “I noticed that your hair’s usually a bit more wild by then, too - are you and Yang just... ‘sleeping in?’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake fixed her with a glare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tread carefully, Weiss. I could </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> make this look like clown makeup and you’d be none the wiser.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss just rolled her eyes, and they both started laughing together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How... how </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> things going with Ruby?” Blake asked. “I mean, I figure that you two are doing well, considering that I hang out with both of you all the time and she’s practically attached at your hip, but...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re one to talk,” Weiss shot back with a laugh. “I think this is the first time I’ve been over here where Yang wasn’t home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s taking Bumblebee to the shop,” Blake said. “Apparently, the back tire’s air pressure was a little low. Naturally, this meant that she had to check over every little thing to make sure it’s in perfect condition, so she’s been back in Patch all day working on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Weiss said, illuminated. “But to answer your question... things are honestly fantastic. I only wish we could get a bigger bed, or maybe take mine out of the room to have more space or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good to hear,” Blake said. She held out a lip balm - Weiss recognized Blake’s technique, she intended to use it as primer for a lipstick. “Can you apply this? It’s like the one thing that’s easier if you just do it, because I can’t really feel it to know if it’s even.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss nodded, taking the tube and applying it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, things are good?” Weiss nodded. “Does that mean you guys have gone to third base yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss nearly dropped the lip balm in surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Blake Belladonna!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She shouted, almost immediately breaking down into laughter. “I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe</span>
  </em>
  <span> you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Blake asked defensively. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> the kind of trash I read! C’mon, we </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> get a chance to talk with just the two of us, and Yang absolutely refuses to hear that you guys have done anything besides hold hands and slow dance at least twelve inches apart. You’ve got to tell me all the juicy stuff!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss looked her very best friend in the world dead in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously, Blake? Would </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> feel comfortable telling </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> all the juicy details of </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> sex life?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang usually bottoms, and she knows at least two places in Vale to buy toys. She took me to one on my birthday,” Blake said instantly. Weiss just blinked, shocked at her candor, and Blake gave her a wicked grin. “Your turn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> immature.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, absolutely. But it’s still your turn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss sighed again, rolling her eyes dramatically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I’m about to show you will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> leave this room,” Weiss said sternly. She closed her eyes in frustration, as the intimidating factor of her comment was </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely</span>
  </em>
  <span> ignored, Blake’s eyes instead lighting up at the moment that Weiss said the word ‘show.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake gasped in excitement, like a child on Christmas morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did she do? What is it? Showmeshowmeshowme!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolling her eyes for the second time in a row, Weiss pulled aside the high collar of her dress, revealing a slightly faded set of fang marks where her right shoulder met her neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She </span>
  <em>
    <span>marked</span>
  </em>
  <span> you?” Blake asked, her voice somehow far too loud even though she and Weiss were alone in the apartment. “So </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> why you changed so quickly for the last moon - you were hiding her mark! Ooo, things must </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> be getting serious!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss was afraid that her eyes were going to roll out of her head at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>may</span>
  </em>
  <span> have been kissing her neck area a month or so ago, and given her a gentle bite,” Weiss said. “She stopped me for a moment to explain what biting </span>
  <em>
    <span>means</span>
  </em>
  <span> for weres, and once she did, I...” she blushed. “I asked for one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss Schnee, that is positively </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I absolutely love it,” Blake said, her voice holding nothing but honest pride. She rested her hands on her chin, a willing audience. “So what was it like? Letting her </span>
  <em>
    <span>claim</span>
  </em>
  <span> you like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> telling you the story,” Weiss said immediately, covering the mark up once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake’s eyes just widened, and Weiss resisted the urge to put a hand over her face.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s really romantic,” Blake said, after Weiss had finished telling her the story. “I was expecting filth, but the soft, tender romance is </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span> as good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Must</span>
  </em>
  <span> you live vicariously through my romantic life?” Weiss asked tiredly. “You have your </span>
  <em>
    <span>own</span>
  </em>
  <span> girlfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure do!” Blake said with a grin. “I love her more than anything else on this planet and I honestly think she might be my soulmate - but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy tales of </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> love life, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss just let out a sigh, allowing Blake to keep dotting her cheeks, eyelids, and the bridge of her nose with tiny white stars.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did it... hurt?” Blake asked. “When she actually marked you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Blake - my girlfriend just sunk her fangs into my bare skin hard enough to leave a mark that has lasted for five weeks, I didn’t feel a thing,” Weiss replied, her voice oozing with sarcasm. To her surprise, Blake gave her a sympathetic look as she slowly blinked her eyes open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Blake said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It honestly wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad,” Weiss said. “It hurt more than when she Turned me, though that’s probably because back then I was still hyped up on vampire blood, and was only </span>
  <em>
    <span>kinda</span>
  </em>
  <span> aware of the fact that I still had a stab wound.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake nodded at her reasoning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, the pain is more... I don’t know how to describe it. Warm? Soothing, in a way? It was like... have you ever gotten into a </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> hot bath, where the first few seconds feel like the water is boiling, but after that it kind of dulls into just a very intense heat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kinda, yeah,” Blake said, her tone soft as she imagined it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s like that, but instead of heat it’s a puncture wound,” Weiss said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm,” Blake replied, giving a tiny shrug as she returned to her work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you asking me, anyways?” Weiss asked. “Hasn’t Yang asked to mark you at some point?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, she hasn’t,” Blake said. “I think it’s because I’m not a wolf or something, and she’s too afraid to ask. Maybe I’ll talk to her about it tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss narrowed her eyes at Blake, considering that she was still in the apartment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“After you’ve left, jeez,” Blake said. “I might be open about my love life but that doesn’t mean that I want an </span>
  <em>
    <span>audience. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’ll ask her about it once you’re gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss nodded at that. Then, a fantastic idea came into her mind, and considering everything that they’d discussed so far this afternoon, it was too good not to share.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Or...”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Weiss said mischievously. “You could just start making out with her, and then reach a point where you hover your teeth over her neck... and ask her if you can bite down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake stopped working for a moment at that, a slow smile curling her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss, you truly are </span>
  <em>
    <span>devious.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s because you’re such a terrible influence,” Weiss replied. She managed a small smile. “But you’re welcome.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, that should about do it,” Blake said, finally leaning back in her chair. “Now, to photos!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t I get to see it?” Weiss complained. There weren’t any obvious mirrors in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!” Blake replied, gloating. “Not until after we take the photos. I want you to pose naturally - people always change their posture in weird ways once they see how they actually look.” She grinned. “Plus, it’s fun to keep you in suspense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss rolled her eyes. “Can I let my hair down now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah!” Blake said, carrying a ring-shaped light over to the small photo area she’d set up. “I’ll be there in a sec to brush it out for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss shook out her hair in relief - she’d developed the beginnings of a headache keeping all of it tied up for the hour and a half or so that Blake had spent working. True to her word, Blake took the hairbrush that Weiss had brought with her and began to straighten out her hair, carefully removing the tangles that had come from the ponytail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, you’re even good at hair, too, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That just comes from dating Yang,” Blake laughed. “She asks me to brush her hair most nights, and then I braid it before we go to sleep. Don’t get me wrong, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> the way it looks when it’s down, but... it’s a bit less pretty when it’s in my mouth at 2 AM.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fair,” Weiss laughed. “I’m honestly impressed that Yang even lets you brush it - she’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> careful with it...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, she definitely didn’t trust me to do it until we’d been together for like six months,” Blake said. “And that’s probably because I had long hair back then, too - if mine had always been like this she’d probably </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> be hesitant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss just shook her head. She supposed that the one downside to her shorter haircut was that she couldn’t make Ruby braid it. Perhaps she’d grow it out just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> more, just so she had an excuse...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” Blake said. “Ready?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They spent about thirty minutes taking photos. Blake gave her a few directions on some occasions, but Weiss knew how to have her picture taken - finally, she had a use for all the skill she’d built up during Schnee family photoshoots and press conferences.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Now</span>
  </em>
  <span> can I see it?” Weiss asked, once Blake had been looking through the photos for around five minutes. They must have taken hundreds, and for the last few, Blake had told her to let her ears out - she wasn’t going to post those pictures, because she couldn’t reasonably tie wolf ears in with a space theme, but she had promised to send them along just for Weiss to have.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knock yourself out,” Blake said, pointing out the bedroom door, towards the bathroom. “I think I’ve outdone myself this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss practically raced to the bathroom, nearly giddy to finally see the fruits of Blake’s labor. When she caught her reflection, she gasped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The center of Weiss’ face, including the bridge of her nose, was a pale, shimmering blue, perfectly complimenting her eyes without </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite</span>
  </em>
  <span> being the same shade. As it spread outwards to her cheeks and temples, the shimmering color became a darker and darker purple, with the barest hints of sea green to balance out the transition. The shimmering color followed up through her right eyebrow, balancing with the scar on her left eye - Weiss was a little bit touched that Blake had chosen not to conceal it. By the time it reached her forehead, the color was a bold swirl of violet, a brilliant purple galaxy just above her eye. Every single inch of the sweep of color was dotted with tiny, meticulously-drawn stars. A thin, dotted white line lazily connected a few of them from left to right across her nose, resembling the way that constellations are drawn out on star charts. The final detail was a bold purple lipstick, perfectly matching the eyeshadow at its darkest on her face - Blake had actually blended the eyeshadow </span>
  <em>
    <span>with</span>
  </em>
  <span> a lipstick to match the shades exactly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss just gazed at herself, seeing a beautiful abstraction of the entire cosmos on her face. Unable to help herself, she snapped a quick selfie and sent it to Ruby. Once the message went through, she took one last look at herself, absolutely amazed by Blake’s handiwork.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what did you think?” Blake asked, her voice almost smug. She was busy cleaning up the small explosion of makeup products that were now left on her desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d hug you, but I don’t want to get this on your shirt,” Weiss said with a laugh. More sincerely, she added, “Blake, I... this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>spectacular.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You’re amazing, and I’m genuinely honored that you wanted to do this with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was fun to do something with blue eyes,” Blake said with a smile. “I have way more ideas for you than I do for Ruby - there’s only so much I can </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> to match silver...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any time I’m free, I’d love to,” Weiss said. “This is... </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and it was also lots of fun to chat.” She began helping Blake clean, but her scroll buzzed and she paused to check it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ruby&lt;3: I’m dead. It’s too perfect and I’m too gay.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’ve killed me, I’m dead forever</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby had sent these messages along with a picture of herself, dramatically sprawled out on the floor of their dorm room, the back of her hand against her forehead as if she had fainted like a lovestruck lady in a period romance novel. Weiss giggled as soon as she saw it, and began to tap out a response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Could you perchance be revived by a true love’s kiss?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We won’t know until we try.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>lmao see you at home&lt;3</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>See you soon!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss chuckled, returning her scroll to her pocket and helping Blake clean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did Ruby like it?” She asked knowingly. “That was your ‘I just got a text from Ruby’ laugh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She did,” Weiss said with a smile. “Apparently, she is ‘too gay,’ and is now ‘dead forever.’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a tragedy,” Blake deadpanned. Her hand closed around a blue plastic box of makeup wipes. “Oh, here - I’m glad you love my work, but I’m sure it’s getting hot by now. Wanna take it off?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss </span>
  <em>
    <span>briefly</span>
  </em>
  <span> wondered if Blake would be offended, but her understanding expression immediately waved away that suspicion. She’d love for Ruby to see the look in person, but that would require her walking several city blocks looking like a series of nebulae, which she didn’t exactly want to do. Nodding gratefully, she took the offered box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gods, yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How was makeup at Blake’s?” Ruby asked, her tail wagging a little as she prepared their meal for the evening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was honestly a lot of fun,” Weiss said. “We had a great time just hanging out, enjoying some girl talk...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Such as?” Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss sighed. “I don’t know how, but she peer pressured me into showing her the bite you gave me.” She pulled her dress aside to reveal the faded teeth marks.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ruby said, equal parts intrigued and surprised. “And what did she think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was... surprised,” Weiss admitted. She rolled her eyes. “But </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> happy for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure,” Ruby laughed. More seriously, she said, “I’m glad that you feel okay showing Blake. Like I said before, you can totally keep it private if you want, but...” she grinned. “I don’t mind the idea of you showing it off to other weres.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember,” Weiss said, sidling up behind Ruby to kiss her neck. “I only did it in the first place because I knew you’d be okay with me showing her.” She kept kissing, making Ruby shudder. “But, I couldn’t help but notice something,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-oh?” Ruby breathed, Weiss’ current activity making regular conversation difficult.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, from what I understand, these marks on my neck tell other weres that I belong to you,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s... a correct way to put it, yeah,” Ruby said, impressed at her ability to form a proper sentence </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> keep stirring while Weiss was distracting her like this - though she had absolutely no intention to ask her to </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“If that’s the case, then... how will other weres know that </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> belong to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby’s cheeks tinted considerably at the question. She turned, facing Weiss, noticing just a tiny bit of wicked satisfaction in her eyes. She leaned up to Ruby’s ear, and let out a tiny whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any plans after dinner tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>To the outside observer, this two-story house in the middle of an eastern Mantle side street was perfectly mundane. If the blinds were open, any passers-by would be able to notice at a glance that the house’s three occupants were clearly enjoying a movie on this lazy Sunday afternoon - two of them, clearly a couple, were snuggled up on the couch, with the house’s other occupant sitting cross-legged on the floor among the family’s two dogs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, upon a second glance, one would become rather confused, considering that the shorter girl was happily snuggled up with what appeared to be two </span>
  <em>
    <span>unusually large</span>
  </em>
  <span> dogs. Plus, she oddly seemed to be wearing some sort of Halloween costume accessory on her head - but the holiday was months away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The third glance would be most worrisome, as dogs generally shouldn’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>those</span>
  </em>
  <span> colors...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is ridiculous,” Winter complained, after the umpteenth car erupted into a fireball from a single gunshot on the screen before her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, Winter, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> picked the movie last time,” Fiona complained. “If I can sit through that confusing political drama, you can watch this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That film was an </span>
  <em>
    <span>excellent</span>
  </em>
  <span> portrayal of the blatant corruption of the last presidential administration,” Winter retorted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“This</span>
  </em>
  <span> is a film about a man who has been in fifteen explosions and only has a small amount of blood on his face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn laughed. “Sweetheart, I say this as someone who is </span>
  <em>
    <span>apparently</span>
  </em>
  <span> trying to be a career politician - political movies get boring and dumb action movies have their merits, so please lighten up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter rolled her eyes dramatically as Robyn kissed her on the cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn was balancing a popcorn bowl on her lap, which Winter of course hadn’t asked for, but was happily taking handfuls from. The pair of them sat on the couch, with Winter leaning into Robyn’s right shoulder. Robyn’s left hand, however, was idly scratching the head of Joanna, who had shifted into her forest-green wolf for the movie, and was sitting upright next to Fiona on the floor, watching intently. Fiona herself sat cross-legged, in-between Robyn and Winter, with her own popcorn bowl in her lap. She had to rest it mostly on her left thigh, as the right one was being used as a headrest by the azure wolf form of May. Her eyes were closed, apparently content just to listen to this week’s film. Fiona ran her right hand down May’s back, occasionally feeding her a few pieces of popcorn with her left. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> that a human being could survive that,” Winter said. “Hell, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> probably couldn’t survive everything he’s been through - not without feeding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We probably could, though,” Fiona said merrily. “You don’t know that this guy’s not a werewolf.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose I don’t,” Winter replied, with a roll of her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fiona’s scroll buzzed on the table, and she stopped petting May for a moment to check it. She suddenly gasped, reaching up to pause the movie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I just hit a hundred thousand followers on my main platform!” She shouted. “One of my mods just texted me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter and Robyn blinked at each other - they didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite</span>
  </em>
  <span> know what this meant, but the number alone was certainly impressive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joanna, elated, shifted back to her human form in order to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Fiona, that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>wonderful!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Congrats, Fi!” May said, now also in human form. The two of them immediately wrapped their comparatively smaller girlfriend in their arms, nearly crushing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter and Robyn both offered their congratulations soon afterwards, though they didn’t feel the need to almost asphyxiate the poor girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I may ask...” Winter said, “Are followers different from subscribers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Fiona said. “Follows are free, whereas subs have to pay month-to-month, so they fluctuate a lot more. I never worry too much about my count there - I get that people sometimes have to unsub for a while, when money’s tight or whatever. Sub goals are nice, and my chat will often make me end up doing some </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> stupid stuff when I reach them, but... I’ve always had enough to be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> what you were doing with the microwave last week?” Robyn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Winter exclaimed - this was the first she’d heard of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Robyn said. “I was home early from work because Sleet’s stupid kid got into trouble at school or whatever, so I was just enjoying some tea and watching the news when Fiona bursts out of her room, saying that she needs to ‘borrow the microwave.’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fiona gave them a shrug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, when six thousand people have decided to send money to you personally each month, and they claim that they’ll donate like a hundred bucks on top of that if you show them your microwave... you show them your microwave, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>world</span>
  </em>
  <span> did they want to see our </span>
  <em>
    <span>microwave?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Winter asked, still confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno!” Fiona said, her ears flattening against her head. “Ask my chat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’ll gladly take them wanting to see our microwave over that one guy who kept asking for a peek at your tits,” May said, taking a handful of popcorn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>certain</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it was against the terms of service for me to kill that guy?” Joanna asked mildly. “Like, I know you said you checked, but...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Jo,” Fiona said with an eye roll. “The gods of my platform dictate that we merely ban him and then move on. Then we banned his alt, and his </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> alt... and then I went to subs-only chat for a little while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeez, he sounds persistent,” Robyn said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the consequences of being a woman on the internet,” Fiona sighed. “Horny dudes just </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanna see your breasts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too bad for him, you’re taken,” May said, sidling up to Fiona. “Those breasts are for </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> eyes only.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed,” Joanna said, lightly nipping at Fiona’s shoulder, making her giggle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Darling, I believe that’s our cue,” Robyn said, standing up from the couch. She took Fiona’s now-forgotten popcorn bowl in one hand, consolidating it into her own bowl and taking both to the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right behind you,” Winter said, dramatically stepping over the canoodling trio. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Later, you two!” May called, waving with Fiona’s shirt in her hand. She helped Joanna to her feet, who was now carrying a giggling Fiona in her arms like a princess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>obscene,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Winter complained, helping Robyn wash out their popcorn bowls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, lighten up, Ice Queen,” May said. “Joanna hasn’t had a weekend off </span>
  <em>
    <span>all month.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Let us have this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides,” Joanna said, hefting Fiona up onto her shoulder in a fireman’s carry to turn off the TV with her free hand. “We know </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> what you two do when you think we’re not home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter pinched the bridge of her nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I was sorry about that,” she said glumly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t!” Robyn said merrily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Darling, you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> helping,” Winter replied, though her voice had hardly any bite to it. Joanna walked past them with a now-shirtless Fiona still draped over her shoulder. She waved as the trio headed upstairs to their bedroom, then began to grab at Joanna’s dark green tail as her own wagged back and forth in the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Congratulations again, Fiona,” Winter said, sincere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!” She replied, her voice now echoing down the stairs. May paused at the bottom of the landing. Winter blinked at how incredibly accustomed she was to seeing her just standing around in their apartment, completely naked. But, as she had been informed, that was just part of sharing a living space with a werewolf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we finish the movie next week?” May asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Robyn said - it was her turn to pick next week, but she would happily wait. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rad, thanks!” She said, turning back to the stairs, her tail lazily wagging at approximately the same speed that her long braid bounced with her movements.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maaaay,” Fiona called down. “Are you coming?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s sorta dependent on you two, isn’t it?” She replied snarkily, heading up the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ugh,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Winter scoffed, shaking her head. To Robyn, she said, “We really need our own place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, c’mon,” Robyn said, putting the first bowl onto their drying rack. “You know you love them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter turned, raising a threatening finger at her girlfriend. “If you say that to </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> of them, you’re dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure I am, Snowflake,” Robyn said, gently taking her hand and leading her into their bedroom. “Sure I am.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were turning in rather early, though that was mostly due to the wolves’ apparent decision to celebrate Fiona’s milestone rather... privately. Robyn pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it into the hamper with Winter’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon doing so, she felt a warm pair of lips on her neck, followed by a soft pair of arms wrapping around her waist from behind. She looked over her shoulder, a glint of playfulness in her lavender eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well hello there, Snowflake,” Robyn teased. “Can I help you with anything this evening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mayhaps,” Winter responded. “I was... </span>
  <em>
    <span>wondering...</span>
  </em>
  <span> if you’d be willing to take the lead tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robyn stiffened for just a moment, her eyes narrowing. “Just so we’re clear... are you asking for what I </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re asking for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might be,” Winter replied, her lips returning to Robyn’s neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need a ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ hun,” Robyn said gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter stopped, taking a step backwards. Robyn turned to face her, her eyes searching her girlfriend’s expression. She found shyness, nervousness, a little bit of embarrassment... but underneath it was a sort of </span>
  <em>
    <span>hunger</span>
  </em>
  <span> that she’d seen more than a few times before - and it wasn’t for blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Winter murmured, taking in a slightly shuddering breath in as she anticipated what was coming next.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Kneel,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Robyn commanded, the sharp </span>
  <em>
    <span>snap</span>
  </em>
  <span> of her fingers seeming to fill the room as her lavender eyes flashed with a supernatural glow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter fell like a ton of bricks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Winter Schnee had first become a vampire, she had found herself beholden to the influence of her Sire, a man named Arthur Watts. He could command her, if he so desired - reaching out to his blood as it flowed through her veins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Over the past three years or so, Winter had rid herself of his influence by feeding from Robyn - at this point, the pair were convinced that not a single drop of Watts’ blood remained, and that was for the better. Winter may have given up an impressive amount of physical strength, her immortality, and who knows how many other vampiric abilities that she may have inherited from Watts. But she’d made the choice willingly - all of that didn’t even come </span>
  <em>
    <span>close</span>
  </em>
  <span> to the freedom from his control, or the feeling of the sun on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, as Watts’ control and influence waned, rather than disappearing, it had instead found its way to Robyn. And after accidentally </span>
  <em>
    <span>forcing</span>
  </em>
  <span> Winter to help her unload the groceries from the car one afternoon, Robyn had sworn that she’d never use the ability again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is, of course, until Winter had begun requesting it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn looked down at her kneeling girlfriend, her normally blue eyes now glowing lavender to match Robyn’s. The bite marks on Winter’s neck also gave off a subtle glow in the same shade. Robyn crouched before her, gently taking Winter’s face in her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” She asked, her voice soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Winter nodded, blinking her glowing lavender eyes as she rubbed her face into Robyn’s hand like a needy cat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” Robyn said with a smile. “Though, I think you’re still a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> too clothed for my taste, so... </span>
  <em>
    <span>strip.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Her fingers snapped again, and for a while, the pair had very little to think about besides each other.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang stepped off the plane, shielding her eyes from the glare as waves of heat rolled up from the tarmac. She held her carry-on bag in one hand, sliding on her sunglasses with the other. She allowed herself a tiny moment to soak up the Menagerie sun before descending the staircase that was affixed to the side of the plane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here we are!” Blake declared from behind her, carrying her own bag. “Welcome back to Menagerie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Yang said with a laugh, kissing Blake on the cheek as they followed the crowd of people heading towards the airport and its air conditioning. “So your dad’s picking us up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’re meeting him in his car,” Blake replied, texting with one hand on her scroll. “He was watching for when we landed, so - oh! Looks like he already left a while ago.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fortunately, the pair was able to skip baggage claim, as Blake had enough clothing and essentials back at her parents’ house that they were both able to carry everything that they needed to stay in Menagerie for the week - though around half of Yang’s clothes had ended up in Blake’s bag, as she had much more to carry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babe, I told you to dress for warm weather,” Blake joked as she struggled with her bag. “It feels like you’ve got ten winter coats in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I think you ended up with both of our laptops. I can hold it if you want,” Yang said, easily carrying a bag of equal size in her non-dominant hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake just rolled her eyes, knowing her girlfriend would take literally any opportunity to carry things for her. She took Yang’s hand and pulled the bag along - fortunately, once they were in some more open space, she was able to start rolling it on its wheels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pair navigated the airport for a while, mostly following the crowds until they reached the airport’s parking garage, which was fortunately still cool in the shade. Blake had to pull off her sunglasses in the relative gloom as she searched for her father’s car, occasionally glancing at her scroll to see if he’d messaged her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blake!” Came a voice from beside them, echoing in the cavernous chamber. They both turned to see the absolutely massive form of Ghira Belladonna, waving at them with both arms from beside his car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Dad!” Blake called, her pace quickening considerably as she and Yang rushed over to meet him. She let her bag go for a moment, happily leaping up into her father’s tree-like arms for a hug. Yang simply put a hand over her girlfriend’s luggage to prevent it from rolling away, smiling at their little reunion. Once Ghira put his daughter down, he turned to Yang, his arms outstretched. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Yang could really react, her girlfriend’s father was crushing her into an equally enthusiastic hug, making her let go of Blake’s bag in surprise. She let out a good-natured sigh at his affection, barely managing to get her one free arm around his torso to hug back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s wonderful to see you again,” Ghira said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You too, Mr. Belladonna,” Yang replied, her voice just a tiny bit strained as her ribcage was being crushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the last time, call me Ghira,” he admonished gently, putting her down. “Now here, let me take this for you.” He grabbed Yang’s duffel bag and easily brought it to the trunk of his car, where Blake had already placed hers. Soon, the trio was off, headed to Blake’s childhood home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, how’re things in Vale?” Ghira asked. “Are your other packmates staying there for the break?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby and Weiss are staying, yeah,” Blake said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re at my dad’s place,” Yang added. “I’m sure he appreciates their company, now that we’re both in college.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good to hear,” Ghira replied. To Blake, he added, “Your mother and I would love to meet them, you know. Like we told you, your whole Pack is welcome here whenever they like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We know,” she said with an endearing grin. “But the flight </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> nearly ten hours - and I’m pretty sure Ruby would hate planes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’d go crazy sitting still for that long,” Yang agreed. “The only way I could imagine it is if she were to spend like half of the trip doing art on her tablet and then the other half with Weiss asleep in her lap - those are the </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> things I know that can keep her still.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair enough,” Ghira laughed. “But still, if they ever want to come, we’d be delighted to have them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe for the hunter’s moon this year,” Blake pondered. “Menagerie is beautiful in the fall - and I remember Weiss saying that she’d like the idea of not having to walk so far to get to the forest for a moon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Depends on whether the moon happens over fall break,” Yang said. “But I’m sure they’d both love to come if we get the chance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ghira nodded, and the trio soon fell into a rhythm of small talk that lasted for the rest of their car ride.</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Blake!” A tallish woman with a pair of black cat ears nearly identical to Blake’s almost ran to the car to embrace her daughter as soon as she got out. Yang and Ghira pulled the two bags out of the trunk as mother and daughter caught up. Both womens’ tails idly flicked back and forth while they talked, reminding Yang that despite being in plain view of passers-by, it was safe to let out her own.</span></p><p>
  <span>The strangest thing about this little section of Menagerie was that it was populated almost entirely by werecreatures and humans who knew about them. According to Blake’s parents, after so much of their original home had been deforested, a number of werecreatures in their community who were more accustomed to a human lifestyle had taken it upon themselves to build this cozy little neighborhood on the land that was left over. As such, it was apparently quite normal to see little kids playing in the street with their ears and tails out, or to see panthers, foxes, bears, and more out for a run on the sidewalk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yang!” Kali exclaimed, the rings in her black cat ears jangling ever so slightly as she moved to embrace her. “We’re so glad that you were able to make it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Yang laughed, returning the hug, and now immediately aware of how sweaty she was. “Blake wasn’t kidding about the weather, though - I’m still dressed for Vale.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s get you two inside. You’re just in time for tea,” Kali said, immediately switching into her matronly persona. She practically dragged Yang and Blake inside, fussing over them both and insisting that Ghira carry their things.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Afternoon tea with her girlfriend’s parents was not necessarily the sort of thing that Yang would volunteer for, but she had to admit that it was rather nice. Kali was full of energy, asking the couple about seemingly every second that had passed since they’d last been in Menagerie for New Year’s Eve. Blake leaned into Yang’s arm a little bit as they sat on the couch opposite her parents, clearly tired from the long trip.</span>
</p><p><span>“I saw that makeup look that you posted of your packmate,” Kali said.</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Oh, yeah - that’s Weiss,” Blake responded. “She’s really fun to work with. We were planning on doing another shoot at some point - I was considering doing a sort of couples’ thing with her and Ruby.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Like what?” Yang replied, tuning back into the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something with, like, the stem of a rose on Ruby’s cheek that would then bloom on Weiss’,” Blake replied. She gave a little snicker. “I’m sure I can rope them in by telling them that they’re gonna get to be kissing for the entire photoshoot, and just not mention that I need them to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>motionless</span>
  </em>
  <span> the whole time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang laughed. “Why haven’t you done anything like that with us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake gave her a look. “We can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> be in it, Sunshine - who would take the picture? Ruby?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair point,” Yang replied, knowing full well that Blake wouldn’t allow Ruby to lay a finger on her camera, and that Weiss would be far too intimidated to try.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both began to tell Kali and Ghira about how their classes were going this semester, their plans for the summer, and how things were working now that they were part of an officially-recognized Pack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a little weird that we’re still so separated,” Yang said. “Ruby and Weiss </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> sleep over at our apartment for a few days if they really want to, and they usually spend new moons with us there, but most nights they’re in their room on campus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s probably for the best, considering that Ruby and Weiss are </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> in their lovey-dovey honeymoon phase,” Blake replied with a laugh. “Around half the time we come over for pancakes on Sundays, Ruby’s sitting there making them while wearing one of Weiss’ t-shirts, and they’ve spent </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> much of the previous night all wrapped up in each other that I can’t even distinguish them by smell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Young love can do that to you,” Ghira said with a hearty laugh.</span>
</p><p><span>“We’re not exactly strangers to the idea,” Yang said with smile, putting her arm over Blake’s shoulders. This earned an eye roll from her girlfriend, but she still leaned into the contact nonetheless.</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“We were talking about all living somewhere off campus together in the fall,” Blake said. “With the four of us, we might be able to afford a place a bit closer to the woods, if maybe a little farther from campus.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Ah, that just sounds so lovely,” Kali sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re both very glad that you’ve found such a wonderful family at Beacon,” Ghira agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake smiled up at Yang at that, kissing her on the cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said, in a quiet voice meant almost entirely for Yang. “So am I.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re feeling bold enough to kiss me in front of your parents, huh?” Yang teased later that night, as the pair got ready for bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, please,” Blake said with a laugh. “They </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re sleeping here, Yang - I’m twenty years old, they can handle it if they catch me making out with my hot girlfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang, now clad in just her underwear, her hair in a braid, seductively took Blake up in her arms while she wore nothing but one of Yang’s old t-shirts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that a promise?” She teased, her voice low and sultry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> immature,” Blake laughed, immediately giving her a kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pair fell onto the bed, wrapped up in one another - and though it didn’t quite arrive for some time, sleep eventually came for them.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey girls - how’s it coming in here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taiyang poked his head into his daughters’ room to see Ruby in sweat pants and a t-shirt, fussing over Yang’s hair as she sat at her desk, with makeup, a curling iron, and bobby pins strewn about the surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ish goen graeh!” Ruby replied, with at least two light brown bobby pins in her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby, I think we should start all over,” Yang said. “This bun is...” she scratched at the side of her temple, making Ruby immediately make an incoherent protest as her head moved, “... </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> tight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry!” Ruby replied, taking the bobby pins out of her mouth. “I thought I watched enough tutorials, I’ll start over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On that note,” Tai replied, walking his way further into the room, “I think I might be able to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby waved him off immediately, gently pulling out some of the errant bobby pins as Yang shook her hair out to its normal length at her mid-back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too many cooks, Dad - I promise, I’ve got this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t worry,” Tai chuckled. “I know that I’m just kind of the ‘ponytails and normal braids’ kind of dad, but...” he walked up to the two of them, presenting Yang with a long and thin piece of black wood in his hands. “I, uh... I found this while I was cleaning the attic the other weekend, and I think you should have it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In Taiyang’s hands was a thin cylinder about eight inches long, black as night. One end of the cylinder gently tapered off into a harmless point, but the other became wider, transitioning to a beautiful and intricate carving of a single, jet-black wing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... wow...” Ruby breathed, staring at the accessory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Yang asked, her lilac eyes wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a hair stick!” Ruby replied. “You basically wrap your hair around it in a bun, and then it sticks out the top with that really cool design!” She grabbed her scroll, which was halfway through a hair tutorial, and quickly began to find example images to show Yang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It, uh... belonged to your mom,” Tai said gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang’s face fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah? Which one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tai let out a small laugh, but he understood his daughter’s annoyance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In a way... both of them,” he said. “Remember, Summer, Raven, Qrow and I were all super close in college - Summer found this at some weird hole-in-the-wall shop in the city, and it made her think of Raven, so...  she got it for her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, wow...” Ruby whispered, amazed when she heard any story about her mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Tai said. “Of course, Raven </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> point out that it wouldn’t really stand out very much against her hair, because it was the same color, but...” he smiled. “She still wore it sometimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> cool!” Ruby said, practically bouncing with giddiness. “Yang, you’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>gotta</span>
  </em>
  <span> wear it tonight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang looked between the hair stick and her father’s knowing smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> of them, Raven </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> Summer, would want you to have it,” he added. “After all, I think it’d be a great accessory for their daughter’s junior prom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang swallowed thickly, pushing down the beginnings of tears that were starting to form in her eyes - she had </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> put on makeup for the evening. She forced herself to push aside her worries about how each of those women would </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> see her now - whether they’d approve of or be surprised by the person that Yang had become, and just blindly took her father at his word. Eagerly, she snatched the hair stick out from Tai’s hands, thrusting it towards Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s do it,” she said with a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yang, your group’s all here!” Tai replied, watching as an SUV pulled up to his house, full of faces that he’d seen once or twice around the school’s hallways, as well as several times to pick Yang up before they all went to hang out somewhere. An interesting mix of tuxedos, dresses, fancy hairstyles and uncomfortable shoes began carefully making their way to his door, mindful of the slight slope up to their front porch in the early evening gloom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost ready!” Ruby shouted out from their room. “Just ooooooone more pin, and... there!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang Xiao Long confidently stepped out of her shared bedroom with her sister, a blazing yellow star that seemed to give off all the light in the room from her very being. She wore a burning bright orange gown, with a tight but flattering collar and </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough material on the tops of her shoulders for it to still be considered sleeveless. Yang gave a confident twirl, revealing that while it was mostly closed off in the front, the dress opened up considerably on the other side - it was backless, which was </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> flattering for Yang’s physique. Her gown then expanded outwards into a traditional a-line skirt, the burning orange fading to a calm, chipper yellow near the bottom. Yang wore a simple pair of yellow, close-toed flats and flesh-colored tights to complement her gorgeous dress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To truly </span>
  <em>
    <span>complete</span>
  </em>
  <span> the look, though, Ruby had styled her long yellow mane into an elegant updo, with one long strand of her hair still hanging out from the bun to just barely kiss the backs of her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Last but not least, just barely visible above her head when seen from the front, was a little black raven wing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you think?” Yang asked, her voice </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span> proud enough to be considered smug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yang,” Tai said with a smile. He spread his arms out wide, ready to pull his daughter into his embrace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She held up a finger, stopping him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch the hair and the face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, of course,” he said, pulling Yang into a </span>
  <em>
    <span>careful</span>
  </em>
  <span> but still very enthusiastic hug. Once he set her down, she ran to the door, ready to greet her friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby walked up next to her father, crossing her arms with satisfaction as she watched everyone compliment Yang on her dress and her hair as they all began to fuss over one another and find a good spot to take photos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I good, or am I good?” She asked, offering him a fist bump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re very good,” Tai laughed, their fist bump turning into an explosion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t stay out too late!” Tai called after her. “I may not be a chaperone, but I still get to be your dad!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you end up dancing with any cute girls, you better tell me about it!” Ruby called as well, immediately getting an eye roll from her father.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang just blushed, giving them both a nervous little wave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No promises to either of you!” She called back, turning to get into the car that would take her to the dance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once Yang was in a seat and on her way, she found herself looking up at the waxing crescent moon, unable to keep a smile off her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raven Branwen and Summer Rose may not have ever known that they had a daughter - Raven had left early in Yang’s life, and was now somewhere out there in the world, and Summer had died in a car accident when Yang was only nine - five years before she knew she was transgender. Still, though... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mere thought of her mothers seeing her now, and being proud of her, made Yang the happiest girl in the world.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of rapid typing pulled Coco Adel out of her peaceful slumber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh. Vel, come to bed,” she groaned, sitting up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm?” Her girlfriend hummed. Her tall brown ears gently bounced as she flicked her head up from the screen, which was the only light in Coco’s tiny room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Velvet, it’s two in the morning</span>
  <em>
    <span>,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Coco said gently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I... oh, yeah, I guess it is,” Velvet realized, checking the clock in the bottom corner of her laptop screen. “Sorry, I... didn’t notice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coco’s shoulders fell away from her ears in sympathy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ADHD stuff again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said sheepishly. “I just couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get a jump start on this project, and that was... four hours ago?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coco just let out a tired sigh, flicking on the small lamp that she kept at her bedside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Want a sleeping spell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Velvet shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Part of me thinks that’s a good idea, but the other part thinks I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> close to making this stupid mutex lock work...” she replied, returning to her keyboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleeping spell it is,” Coco said, peeling the covers back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coco,” Velvet said gently. “I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> you to do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too bad, you need some rest. If your brain won’t let you sleep, then I’ll make it,” Coco replied. “Besides, if you keep typing like that, then </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> gonna need the spell just to sleep through it.” She walked over to her desk, pulling out a drawer to remove a tough metal box with a lock on it. Normally, she wore the key on a necklace, but the necklace itself was left hanging on a jewelry stand while she slept. Tiredly, she opened the box and began to clear herself a modest space to cast her spell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coco, seriously,” Velvet said, now standing up behind her. “You don’t need to waste ingredients just for this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coco turned, pulling Velvet into her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This spell is cheap, I promise,” she responded. “Besides, I’m not about to let you only get two hours of sleep again.”</span>
</p><p><span>“I’m pretty sure I was gonna get at </span><em><span>least</span></em><span> four,” Velvet said with a weak little giggle. She sighed. “You’re sure?”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Of course I’m sure,” Coco said softly, kissing her on the forehead. “Get changed, this spell’s pretty easy.” She turned back around, getting back to her ingredients.</span></p><p>
  <span>Velvet stood there behind her for a moment, shifting nervously from foot to foot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” she finally said. “For waking you up, and... making you do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bunny, you’re not </span>
  <em>
    <span>making</span>
  </em>
  <span> me do anything,” she said. “You can’t sleep and I can </span>
  <em>
    <span>literally</span>
  </em>
  <span> do magic that’ll help, so I’m doing it. I like that I can do this for you, okay? So please stop beating yourself up about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Velvet said with a sigh. She wrapped Coco up in a hug from behind, dipping her head enough that the tips of her ears entered Coco’s vision as she spread the ingredients out on her desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you,” she said, her voice muffled by the fabric of Coco’s sleep shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too,” Coco said, taking a moment to kiss Velvet’s cheek. “Now get ready for bed, I’ll be right there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Two minutes later, Velvet was snuggled up under Coco’s sheets, having brought her ears back in for bed. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried</span>
  </em>
  <span> to close her eyes, but the moment she did, all she could think about were algorithms and the various ways to manage important data in a multithreaded program. If one thread read and stored a value and went to modify it, but another thread did the same before the first one finished, then they’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> be modifying the old value - the example she remembered was that if two people deposited a dollar in a shared bank account at the exact same time, without proper thread control, the account would only show an increase of one dollar, because both peoples’ threads would first read and store the original value instead of waiting their turn, and -</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Coco said gently, interrupting her thoughts. She had one hand on Velvet’s shoulder, and the other was tightly clenched in a fist. “Are you ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Velvet said. “If I end up dreaming about multithreading and mutex locks, I’m blaming you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m relatively comfortable with that,” Coco laughed. She placed a gentle kiss on Velvet’s lips, careful not to open her right hand. She pulled away after a moment, meeting Velvet’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight,” she said. “See you in the morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight,” Velvet said, looking expectantly at Coco’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coco opened her fist and took in a breath. Bringing her lips to her palm, she gently blew the small bit of golden powder over Velvet’s face, making her start to blink sleepily right away. Quickly, Coco reached out to catch Velvet’s head before it lolled forwards, gently guiding her to a normal sleeping position on her side. Once Velvet was settled, Coco turned off her lamp, climbing into bed next to her. She made sure to get comfortable and then gently ran her right hand over her own face, the residual powder from the spell immediately making her drowsy. With her last few moments of wakefulness, Coco pulled Velvet in tight, planting a loving kiss on the back of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shut her eyes, welcoming slumber.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed that little surprise at the end! Please let me know what you think of this chapter, because I'm *very* proud of each of these little tales. See you next time!</p><p>-Red</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so very much for reading both this work and the Werewolf of Beacon! I truly, truly hope you enjoyed, and that we'll be able to celebrate more incredible milestones like this one. </p><p>-Red</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>